Broadly speaking, the present invention provides a system and method for collecting, storing and receiving data in a distributed manner based on a remote authorization. In overview, a prescribing party writes a prescription that authorizes a collecting party to collect data and transfer the data to a central server. The status of the prescription and collected data are available to parties having access to the server. The prescription, authorization, status and data information are exchanged via any suitable data communications medium. In one application, a doctor or health care provider at a remote location authorizes a patient to collect and transfer diagnostic data with a medical diagnostic device in a fashion analogous to prescribing drugs.
Significantly, though the device must be authorized or activated in order for data collection to proceed, the data collection process itself is performed by the collecting party or patient independently from, and without involvement of, both the server and the prescribing party. The patient does not, for example, simply respond to prompts or queries provided by the server via the communications medium. This is significant, as the patient can perform the diagnostic procedure at his or her leisure and moreover, can transmit the data to the server at his or her leisure.
In one embodiment of the invention, a system for data collection is provided. The system comprises a data collection device for collecting and/or transmitting data. A prescribing party prepares a prescription that authorize the data collection device to collect and/or transmit data. A server receives and stores the prescription from the prescribing party via a communications medium. The data collection device is operable by a collecting party independently of the server and prescribing party to collect data, and is operable to transmit the data to the server when appropriate authorizations have been received from the server.
In another embodiment of the invention, a prescription-controlled diagnostic data collection system for collecting, storing and receiving medical diagnostic data is provided. The system includes a remote medical diagnostic device that is configured to collect and transmit diagnostic data. A health service provider prepares a prescription that authorizes the remote diagnostic device to collect and/or transmit diagnostic data. The prescription includes an identifier unique to the device. A central server receives and stores the prescription from the prescribing party and stores status and data information associated with the prescription. A base unit transfers data and authorization information between the remote medical diagnostic device and the server. The remote diagnostic device is operable by a patient independently of the server and the health care provider to collect the diagnostic data, and is operable to transmit the diagnostic data to the server when appropriate authorizations have been received by the base unit from the server.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, a method for collecting, storing and receiving data in a distributed manner is provided. The method comprises the following steps:
(a) communicating an operation n authorization for a remote data collection device from a prescribing party to a server; PA1 (b) providing the remote data collection device to a collecting party; PA1 (c) communicating a device identifier from the collecting party to the server; PA1 (d) determining whether the device identified by the device identifier has been authorized for operation by the prescribing party; PA1 (e) if the device is authorized for operation, allowing independent operation of the device by the collecting party to collect data, and if the device has not been authorized for operation, disallowing operation of the device; PA1 (f) communicating the collected data from the device to the server; and PA1 (g) on request of the prescribing party, communicating the collected data from the server to the prescribing party. PA1 (a) communicating a registration of a diagnostic device from a prescribing party to a server; PA1 (b) communicating a prescription from the prescribing party to the server; PA1 (c) providing the diagnostic device to a collecting party; PA1 (d) communicating a device identifier from the collecting party to the server; PA1 (e) determining whether the device has been registered with the server by comparing the registration and the device identifier; PA1 (f) if the device has been registered, communicating the prescription from the server to the device to allow operation of the device, and if the device has not been registered, disallowing operation of the device; PA1 (g) collecting and storing diagnostic data with the device independently of the server and the prescribing party; PA1 (h) determining from the prescription whether the device is authorized to transmit data to the server; PA1 (i) if the device is authorized to transmit data, transmitting the collected data from the device to the server, and if the device is not authorized to transmit data, preventing the transmission of collected data from the device to the server; and PA1 (l) on request of the prescribing party, communicating the collected data from the server to the prescribing party.
In a still further embodiment of the present invention, a method for remotely collecting and transmitting diagnostic data is provided. The method comprises the following steps:
Objects and advantages of the present invention include any of the foregoing, singly or in combination. Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, or will be set forth in the following disclosure.